Caledonia Gladiators’ BBL Trophy final with Cheshire Phoenix on Sunday could be “a springboard” for basketball in Scotland, says co-owner Steve Timoney.
Gladiators will have home advantage at a sold-out Emirates Arena in Glasgow as they seek to end a run of 10 defeats in finals.
“Getting in the Trophy final is nothing but good news for us,” said Timoney.
“It’s the first final for a few years. It’s an opportunity to win the first trophy for 20 years.”
Winning the BBL Trophy would signify another step in Caledonia Gladiators’ progress. Earlier this month they announced plans to move to a £20m purpose-built arena in East Kilbride that will host 6,000 spectators.
Their men’s and women’s teams will play at a temporary facility in the South Lanarkshire town before the full arena is completed by 2026. Longer term, Timoney has ambitions to make the club a force in Europe.
“There’s an awful lot at stake. We’re all feeling under pressure to get it right,” said Timoney of the match against Cheshire Phoenix.
“The Trophy final is potentially a springboard for the sport in Scotland. We have done particularly well this season.
“Cheshire are an excellent team. We’re probably on a par with them so it’ll probably be a very competitive game. It’ll be a spectacle.”
The club’s last trophy success, while known as the Scottish Rocks, was in 2002-03. They have since lost three play-off finals and seven cup finals.
Head coach Gareth Murray played in the last final the franchise contested, the BBL Cup in 2019, when the Rocks lost 68-54 to London Lions.
He believes Gladiators are well placed to end their wait for a trophy.
“This is probably our best chance in 20 years to win,” he said.
“We play very well at home. It’s a big opportunity for the club. We’ve been in quite a few finals over the years. This may be the best chance in the next three to five years.
“It’s a great opportunity to really launch Caledonia Gladiators and show where this club can go.
“It’s an exciting time for Scottish basketball but especially for Caledonia Gladiators. We want to reach the whole of Scotland. We have aspirations of playing in Europe. That’s got to be the goal.”
Forward Patrick Tape is boosted by Gladiators’ record against Cheshire.
“We’re three out of four,” he explained. “I think we have a pretty good advantage against them so I feel confident going into it.”